Fairfield Unemployment Rises to 7.3 Percent

Fairfield's unemployment rate has risen from 7 percent in September to 7.3 percent in October, according to the latest figures released by the Connecticut Department of Labor.

The department's figures also showed the labor force in Fairfield grew slightly over the same period: from 29,074 in September to 29,192 in October.

State, National Unemployment Rate

In Connecticut, the pool of jobless people last month rose to 9.0 percent overall. Nationally, the United State's unemployment rate is 7.9 percent.

Locally, Westport's unemployment rate currently sits at 6.4 percent, Greenwich  at 5.9 percent and Darien's is at 6.3 percent. The Fairfield  County unemployment average for October was 8.6 percent.

A PDF of the state's October unemployment report for all towns and cities is attached to this article.

Fairfield Numbers

Fairfield's unemployment rate reached its lowest point this year in April, when unemployment was at 6.4 percent. It rose to 7.2 percent in May, was and soared to 8.3 percent in July. The rate began to go down in August, when it was 7.7 percent, and then 7 percent in September, before rising againt to 7.3 percent in October. 

In 2011 Fairfield's annual average unemployment rate was 7.3 percent. In 2010 it was 7.6 percent.

The town's highest reported unemployment rate over the last two years was in July 2012, when 8.3 percent of Fairfield was out of work.